A
policy approved in July officially states Northern’s longstanding
position regarding fraudulent activities: they will be taken seriously
and dealt with appropriately. The policy also provides information
on how NMU employees can report instances of fraud anonymously with
assurances of “whistleblower protection” that prevents them from
being penalized or facing other repercussions.

“The
goal is to make sure people feel comfortable reporting activities
that they know are wrong because it is helpful to the university
as a whole to make sure fraud is identified and investigated seriously,”
said Gavin Leach (Finance
and Administration).

Examples
of violations include fraudulent financial reporting, misappropriation
of assets, corruption and other relevant issues. The policy states
that a single act is cause for investigation and may result in disciplinary
action such as termination and/or arrest and prosecution.

Leach
said adopting a formal, written policy was based on an auditor’s
recommendation and is in compliance with guidelines established
by the Governmental Accounting Standard Board.
The policy can be found at http://publicsafety.nmu.edu
under the police services heading by following the “university
policies” link.